


The Bachelor

by CrystalRebellion



Category: Voltron: Defender of the Universe (1984)
Genre: Allura does NOT want a random suitor, Crack, F/M, Fluff, Holidays, Lotor is not keen on her having one, Winter, bachelor ball
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-15
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-08-24 00:18:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16629215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrystalRebellion/pseuds/CrystalRebellion
Summary: With Allura's dedication to the Voltron Force and Blue Lion, Coran and Nanny take it upon themselves to... encourage... other princess-like duties, such as entertaining eligible bachelors at a winter-solstice-themed gala, and Prince Lotor has never been one to let a lack of invitation bar him from such an important event. (Lotor x Allura)  (Fluff) (One-Shot)





	The Bachelor

**Author's Note:**

> Defender of the Universe-inspired holiday crack-fluff. Enjoy!!

Lotor stared at the wretched piece of parchment in his hands in incredulity. His eyes widened in response to his rage before he crumpled up the paper and tossed it aside.

"Has she gone mad?" He called out to anyone who could hear him as he paced around his command room. Like clockwork, Haggar was at his side.

"My prince, you could infiltrate the ball in disguise-"

" _Sneak in_? Princess Allura is holding a 'Bachelor Ball' and has invited all of the unwed princes to attend - but _I_ did not receive an invitation. I should be the _first_ in line, far more eligible than any of the rest of the scum the galaxy can find. Why should I go in disguise!?"

He stalked about, livid that Allura would insult him so openly.  _She's taunting me,_  he thought, pausing to glare at a guard that crossed his path.

"Because," Haggar soothed him. "They may be fearful of you and try and prevent you from meeting the princess. With a disguise, I can assure you that you'll get to her and then you can put your plans into motion," she explained.

Lotor stopped and listened to the old woman's words. He exhaled as his temper dropped a notch.

"I like how you think, Haggar. Tell me more..."

* * *

Allura was standing at the top of the small stage in the ball room. It was an elevated platform with three stairs leading up to it, upon which a chair had been placed for her to sit. She refused, instead standing with shoulders squared with determination and staring out at the joyous festivities unfolding around her.

It was one of Arus' rare holidays.

It commemorated the passing of the night and reminded her people that even on the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year, day would always come and dawn would always break.

For a war-torn planet, it was an important day, rekindling lost hope an renewing weakened fortitude.

As snow flurried outside and the sun set, the windows darkened with the dying light. Strings of lights illuminated the interior of the ballroom, candles flickered on tables and the Celebration of Lights was underway. The room was bustling with dancing partners and old friends chatting quietly in a corner. Musicians lined the balconies overlooking the dance floor and played grandly for the patrons.

Coran and Nanny mingled with the guests before approaching the frigid princess.

"I'm furious with you, you know," she murmured under her breath once they were close enough to hear her. A false smile flashed across her face as someone danced past her small pedestal.

"I know, Princess, but we did what we had to do. You've been neglecting your duties as a princess ever since you became a Voltron pilot," Coran replied, just as quietly as he waved across the room.

In addition to the usual festivities, Nanny and Coran had gone out of their way to invite every eligible prince in the nearby galaxy in hopes that one might win Allura's heart and secure both a King and an heir for Arus.

Many ladies of nobility from other planets had come to the event in hopes of meeting a prince of their own and circulated through the room, mingling with the gentlemen from all across the galaxy. It was a true ball with dancing, the finest wines, splendid decorations and elegant music - and one very cross hostess.

All the gentlemen callers varied wildly in appearances; a testament to the thoroughness of Nanny and Coran's mission.

Some were short and bald while others were exceptionally tall with long, flowing hair and everything in between. Most were about her own age but a few were quite young and others appeared old enough to be her father.

Her narrowed eyes skimmed over the crowd.

Various levels of dress were present, all considered formal on the respective home worlds. Some of the gentlemen came wearing only elaborate pants - much to Allura's embarrassment - while others met the opposite extreme and were cloaked head to toe.

The colors varied just as wildly as the fabrics; a handful of the potential suitors were dressed in formal black, others displayed a nearly-painful spectrum in an attempt to garner attention.

"You've ruined my favorite holiday," she accused him softly.

Coran ignored her as he stepped forward and raised his hands in the air to gain the attention of the room. The musicians stopped playing and all guests turned their attention on the royal advisor.

"The Princess will now greet everyone. Please, if you're in attendance to meet her, come forward, kiss her hand and introduce yourselves," Coran instructed the waiting princes cheerfully.

"Oh no you don't," Nanny muttered, grasping Allura's arm as she attempted to not-so-discreetly sneak away from the room.

She spun her charge around and tapped her back between her shoulder blades. "Head up, shoulders back," she instructed stiffly, the matron earning a sharp look from the royal.

 _If I'm being honest, I'd much rather be on a battlefield right now - or even dealing with Lotor,_  she thought dryly, eyeing the potential suitors Nanny aimed to set her up with.

With a reluctant sigh, Allura braced for the unpleasantness that was on her immediate horizon. Folding her hands in front of her, she squared her shoulders to the crowd and plastered on her most diplomatic smile.

Her hair was piled atop her head elegantly, save a few, stray streamers framing her expression. A white gown with gold accents flared and dwarfed her frame, a shimmering gold shawl draped over her shoulders, keeping her bare arms warm. 

_Let's get this over with._

Moving down the handful of steps, she came to stop at the base of the dais. The first of the potential suitors approached, pausing to kneel before her. He was shorter than Allura, built stocky with dark hair. Taking her hand carefully in his, he placed his lips against her skin before looking up into her eyes.

"My lady, I am Prince Bala from the planet Tresdin. It is my honor to make your acquaintance. I hope to further your interest with my skill in archery, jousting, and wrestling," he finished, rising to his feet and bowing, flexing his arms out. Allura masked her discomfort behind a weak smile as he returned to mingle in the crowd.

Her eyes snapped to the next man to approach her and she exhaled gently to settle her nerves.

"Your Highness, I am Prince Drynan from Chiti," an extraordinarily tall and willowy man introduced himself as he kissed her hand. Allura maintained her soft, neutral expression, painfully aware of the matron at her side. "I specialize in the arts of love," he murmured, raising his eyes knowingly. "I hope to get to know you later," he said, bowing like Bala did.

Allura looked over her shoulder to her guardians for help. Nanny was ecstatic, applauding prince after prince that came to kneel before Allura. With each passing suitor, the princess looked and felt more ill.

After eight more strangers professed their love to a woman they had never before met, seemingly untroubled by the practice, Allura sighed in exasperation, her energy and patience spent.

As an eleventh suitor approached her, the princess was finished. She tossed a wan smile toward the approaching candidate – he was exceptionally tall, robed from head to toe in elegant black cloth, furnished with gold. She shook her head once and turned to walk away.

"I'm sorry, I know many of you have come from far away but I simply cannot do this any longer-"

"It is your duty as princess of Arus to seek out eligible princes of neighboring planets, since you have neglected that in the last few years, we are aiding you in that," Coran stated as Allura wheeled to face him, her temper flaring.

“I have done my duty to my planet, Coran,” she replied sharply.

“You have become a soldier; that’s utterly unacceptable, now stop making a scene,” he replied sharply, drawing the woman up short.  Wild blue fire burned bright in her eyes.

"How dare-" Allura stopped speaking, her temper flattened as the aspirant in front of her took her hand in his. He bent only slightly at the waist and lowered himself just enough to be shorter than her eye level, but he did not kneel.

She sighed, schooling her diplomacy for one last presumptuous prince. She falsified a smile and squared her shoulders, gently tugging at her hand.

He didn't release it.

Instead, he slowly looked up to meet her eyes from beneath the black silk cowl.

" _Oh-_ "

Allura saw everything happen faster than she could react to it.

As feline pupils dilated when they locked onto her eyes, instant recognition flooded her body. The palm that was so gently supporting hers turned into an iron vice around her wrist, yanking her body toward him. She spun in mid-air, his other arm locking around her waist and effectively pinning her back to his chest.

" _Lotor!_ "

The hood fell away and the arrogant Drule prince grinned at the hall before him. He smirked up at the advisor's pale face as he taunted him with his new hostage.

He pinned one of Allura's arms behind her back, his other hand holding her torso as he laughed at the other stunned guests in the room.

"How _dare_ you hold a bachelor ball and not invite me! If you're looking for merit for Allura's hand, there is no other that bests me! And now I will have her," he murmured, lowering his lips to her ear as she squirmed against him, struggling to get away. "Keep doing that, I like how that feels," he whispered in her ear.

"On your left, door to the access hallway," she whispered back suddenly.

Lotor froze, his face remaining impassive as he contemplated the information he received, lips still near her ear. Allura was very intent on struggling to get away from him as he held her, but she had given him vital information on the quickest escape route.

The sound of the Voltron Force calling his name snapped him out of his surprise.

He glanced over to see a livid commander charging toward him.

Wasting no time, he blew to kiss the nursemaid, causing her to faint as he hauled Allura and all her ferocity toward the doorway.

Kicking it open, he found himself in a maintenance hallway that appeared to lead to the shuttle bay.

As soon as the door clicked closed, Allura immediately stopped fighting him.

"Thank the stars," she murmured. "...You can stop trying to break my arm now, you know," she added. He loosened his hold on the arm he had pinned behind her back, his palms dropping to his side as she stepped away from his hold.

"I'm. ..." He just stared at her as she adjusted her hair and gown, not making any motion to flee, scream or even slap him. She moved her shawl so that it draped over her shoulders properly before primly folding her hands in front of her. She raised her eyes to look to him as he managed to articulate a single word. " _What._ "

"Oh, I don't intend to go with you willingly, don't get me wrong," she said quickly. "But anything to get out of that awful torture chamber is worth it," she explained.

"You... didn't organize the ball?" He studied her closely.

A moment of silence passed between them as Allura studied his expression closely, her own jaw drawing tight in a stress tick at the question.

"...Of _course_ I didn't, what in the six heavens would make you think I would want that kind of... of…” She trailed off, clearly at a loss for a suitable expression for what had just inspired. Lotor attempted to help her.

"Circus?  Debacle?  Damnable chaos?” Allura's cheeks bloomed red at the curse word, but she nodded after a moment.

"Yes, any of those will suffice," she said primly, smoothing out her gown. "It… it’s not my style. My guardians have grown restless that I have spent so much time in the cockpit of a Voltron Lion and not meeting gentlemen callers, apparently," she added with a dry arch of her eyebrow, her temper barely restrained.

All the rage Lotor had been containing since he had first heard of the ball diffused out of him in a single moment.

Her irritated pout released a laugh from his throat.

The annoyed look she gave him for his humor at her expense only fueled him to continue.

"Hush," she chided him. "The guards will hear you. Come on, let's move," she muttered, grabbing his wrist. He balked at the utterly bizarre change of paradigm between them.

Allura started moving quickly down the hallway and into the launch bay for most of the non-lion ships in her small fleet. Dragging him through the space, she waved to the technicians who nearly dropped their tools at the sight of their princess in full formal dress dragging the notorious Drule prince behind her.

She stopped and punched a code to palm open a door to another hallway and quickly darted in.

A breathless moment later, Lotor was practically crashing into her as she stopped before yet another door. The prince was unceremoniously tugged inside before the princess locked the door behind them.

Lotor looked around the small library and reveled in the mastery that she courted her own corridors discreetly.

The meticulous plan he had worked out in his mind had quickly unraveled and he found himself experiencing an unusual state of being: befuddlement.

He watched the gentle princess as she stood before a glassed fireplace, toggling a switch near the mantle to ignite the hearth.

"Allura," he began, taking a step towards her. She turned to face him swiftly, a guarded expression on her face.

Golden eyes flashed to the twitch of her fingertips – a breath away from a decorative firepoker he did not wish to find himself on the business end of.

"I told you, I won't go with you. Besides, you're my hostage now," she finished, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly.

Lotor choked.

"I'm  _your_  hostage? That's not how this works– you're supposed to be  _mine_ …" Allura only shook her head in an infuriatingly soft manner.

"Not a chance. You're my scapegoat, Lotor. I'm not going back into that ball and you're my excuse not to. Moreover," she continued, her demeanor softening. "I'm actually pleased that you came, believe it or not. If they ever try to put me through this nightmare again, I'll simply point out how dangerous it was last time since the evil Prince Lotor appeared and abducted me."

Lotor just stared at the woman before him with open surprise.

He had barged into her castle in a fit of fury intending to haul the princess out over his shoulder and make her his queen once and for all.

Instead, in only a matter of moments, she had aided in her own _abduction_ – if he could even call it that in hindsight – and had flipped the table on him by taking control of the situation.

"I…" He trailed off, easing himself down into one of the armchairs near the fireplace, still reeling from the sudden turn of events. The tempest of a woman he coveted _continuously_ kept him on his toes.

He wondered if it only fueled his fire in the end. "That's devious. That's just downright _evil_ ," he complimented her after a moment of processing what she had said. "Are you sure you aren't part Drule?"

Satisfied that he wasn't about to physically corner her, Allura felt confident turning her back to him to fix her gaze on something out the nearby window.  Despite the effort to school and obscure her expression, he saw the slight smile that curled the corner of her lips.

"This wasn’t the plan, my dear. I came here furious with you for not inviting me," he commented, his eyes fixated on her rigid shoulders. "I was supposed to take  _you_  hostage. You were going to come with me and – dammit, Allura why won't you even look at me?" He felt his frustration building again when the stoic princess didn't acknowledge he was even speaking.

She turned to face him as he rose from the armchair and stalked toward her. Alarm flitted across her face at the sudden shift in temperament.

In an effort to evade him, the princess peeled away from the window as her heart skipped a beat.

“Stay back,” she warned, slipping around the sparse furniture in the small study, attempting to out-maneuver the long-limbed Drule.

As she rushed to avoid him, her gown caught the edge of an end table, forcing her steps to falter. She stumbled, but before she crashed into any of the heavy bookcases, Lotor had caught her by the arm and promptly hauled her into his own.

"Look at me," he commanded, one arm around her back and the other grasping her chin.

"You think you can just come in here and tell me what to do?" She glared up at him, her voice rising angrily as he backed her into a corner.

"Yes, yes I do! That's what someone does with a hostage, Allura!"

"Then do what I say and let me go," Allura thundered back, matching his frustration with her own temper.

Lotor's eyes were wide with shock and he could only remain silent in his stupor.

The prince couldn't decide whether to be furious with the spirited minx before him or thoroughly pleased by her spine and fire. In the end, all he could do was throw his head back and laugh.

"You… are something else entirely," he murmured, releasing her. "Do not think that that makes me your prisoner, however," he commented smartly as she danced away from him and smoothed out her snow-colored gown.

Allura’s eyes flashed to his and a moment of hesitation hung before her.  Emboldened by the frank atmosphere between them, she pressed her luck with a teasing response. "Then what are you, exactly?"

"Woman," Lotor threatened her dangerously, his golden eyes narrowing. She squeaked and backed away a few steps, careful to keep the long swish of her gown free from the furniture. "My patience is not infinite, you know."

"I'm very well aware of your short fuse, Lotor," she sniffed, tilting her chin up, sounding almost insulted by his threat. "You make a gallant display of it nearly every time-" Allura's words were cut off with a gasp as he pinned her to the wall beside the fireplace.

"Are you trying to rile me?" His eyes were locked into hers, his lips just a breath from her own as he whispered both a threat and a promise to her. "I guarantee that you won't forget it."

Allura swallowed nervously, suddenly recalibrating her plan. What had been playful banter to ease the rising tension had only escalated it.

His eyes dropped to her bare throat as she gulped before rising slowly back to meet her eyes.

"You… you can step back now," she whispered, her bottom lip trembling.

"That's not very fair, you made the last demand," he murmured, a wicked smirk dancing across his face. He brought one of his hands up to touch her lip, stroking his thumb across it lightly.

Allura's cheeks colored crimson as she gasped.

"Don't you-" Her threat was silenced as he captured her mouth with his.

His body pressed into hers, pinning her to the wall.

Hips pressed hips against steel, iron torso solid against soft flesh.

Allura’s hands came up to punch at his shoulders as he devoured her. The harder she pushed against him, the more he seemed to lean into her – and the less she wanted him to stop.

Lotor's blood sang with adrenaline when he felt her growl against him in frustration. The pain that shot through his lower lip, however, was a surprise he didn't expect. He felt a sense of awe and appreciation for the spirited princess and her ability to stand her ground.

Love, after all, was merely a battlefield.

He stepped backward as Allura shot out of his grasp, dancing to the door in a flurry of white and gold.

Lotor reclined against the mantle and watched her leisurely, his arms folding across his chest almost wickedly, seemingly untroubled by her attempt to flee.

"You can leave… …and go back to your ball," he finished, nodding to the door, dark promise lacing his expression.

Allura paused mid-keystroke at the lock.

A second ticked.

She exhaled in frustration.

_Stars above us, he’s right._

Her forehead fell against the wall as she sighed.

Lotor's eyebrow raised as he realized that she would rather be trapped alone with him in the intimate study room before returning to her Voltron Force – and the ball.

She huffed and gathered her skirts up and marched proudly away from the door and settled into one end of the sofa near the fireplace.  She snatched a book off an end table and flipped it open before she started browsing the pages.

He stared.

"You're not actually reading that," he commented after a moment, walking around to sit on the opposite end of the sofa. It was small and afforded them little distance between their bodies. Allura turned to look at him, holding the book up to her face like a shield, not above the petulant, childish antics.

"Yes I am," she muttered, determined to dissuade him.

"No, you're hiding from me, my dear," he continued.

"What makes you say that?" She turned the page, her eyes skimming the text.  She forced a tone of nonchalance into her voice, as if sitting beside the warlord were the most natural thing in her world.

"It's upside down."

She snapped the book shut and set it in her lap, her face aflame, scowling at him.

Before she could do more than part her lips in retort, Lotor reached forward and took the book from her lap, tossing it onto the table. He gave it half a look as it slid to a stop. Moving like a panther, he prowled across the loveseat toward her until his body hovered over her tense form.

"Go away," she murmured as he touched her cheek gently with his hand.

"How long are you going to run from them," he murmured softly, sinking lower and closer to her.

"How long will they search for you?"

He leaned down toward her throat and inhaled, letting her scent flood his perception.

He was barely touching her, but he heard the gasp she released.

"They _will_ find you, you know," he continued leisurely, parting his lips to place a light kiss on her throat.

Allura squirmed, trembling like a dragonfly beneath him.  Entranced, his lips trailed along her skin, nipping _ever_ so delicately with his fangs.

She cried out softly, her skin blushing, wide eyes snapping to his.

"I could make you feel things you never  _dreamed_  of, Allura.  Good things," he promised.

Despite the wicked smile on his lips, his eyes were unusually soft. "It wouldn't hurt. It would be quite the opposite, I promise.  The stars, the universe, all for you..." His palm grasped the side of her waist and slid _almost_ up to her chest, pausing to just below.

She was on the verge of leaping away; the tightly-coiled tension in her body was apparent, but she stayed. He was rather liking his odds that he hadn't yet been slapped and didn't want to push his luck. 

Not just yet.

The sound of footsteps startled Allura out of her trance and she glanced wide-eyed to the door.

An evil thought bloomed in Lotor's mind.

With a languid stretch, he released her and leaned away.

"How could I _possibly_ compete with all those suitors outside waiting for you.  I suppose it would be in your best interest to return you to-"

"Hush, you!" She snapped at him in a hiss, holding her breath as the footsteps grew nearer to the library, barely processing the wicked man's words.

She either didn't mind or care that Lotor continued to straddle her body lying on the sofa.

"-after all, I so carelessly took you away before you could properly meet-"

"I said  _hush_! Lotor, can't you hear them?" If hisses could have a pitch, hers would have hitched an octave in panic.

"-all the princes and-"

A devilish smile curled at his lips as her hands grabbed him by the front of his robes and yanked him down on top of her in desperation, crushing her lips against his in an effort to silence him.

He willingly obliged her, arms wrapping about her form, returning her kiss with all the insistence and passion he had been holding back.

His tongue thrust past her lips fervently as her body shuddered. Allura's hands had migrated from the front of his coat to tangling themselves in his hair.

Several minutes later, Allura tilted her chin up to break the kiss, a gasp of air flooding her lungs. Lotor dropped his head to trail his nose along her throat again, pressing kisses against her pulse points as he did so.

"Stars above," she breathed out, still trying to catch her breath. His lips vibrated against her throat as he chuckled, pausing only to bite her earlobe playfully.

"There's _so_ much more, Allura, I could show you so much..."

"I... I can't," she explained.

Lotor made an irritated noise and sat back to give the woman room to compose herself. He had little worry she would flee the room - not at the cost of going back to the ball.

"Do tell why," he inquired, watching as she shuffled into a seated position, tugging her sleeveless dress back up and into place on her torso. His lips curled with bemusement as she went to fetch her shawl from the floor where it had fallen and ended up giving up and leaving it.

"I mean... we're at war. How would that even work?" She shrugged at him, stating the obvious fact.

"You could-"

"I absolutely will not surrender anything to Zarkon," she spat out defiantly. Lotor flinched slightly at the implication but calmed his irritation as she continued. "That's the one thing that bothered me most about this whole arrangement of this... ball. _Catastrophe_ , really. There's this expectation that once I marry, I'll 'take it easy' and 'let the King work' and I have absolutely no intention of doing that, Lotor. Arus is  _my_  planet, by blood and by spirit. I have no concerns sharing the power with a _suitable_ partner - should I ever take one - but I will not surrender my authority over it entirely, not when so many people trust me to care for them."

"Have you considered marrying into the Drule Empire?" He snorted at the deadpan look she gave him in response. "I mean it. Now, hear me out... It could work, you know..." Lotor leaned forward conspiratorially.

Allura sighed with a shrug.

She had at least another hour to kill before the ball would be called off and the suitors sent home.

With nothing left to lose and more concern for how Lotor would entertain her otherwise, she leaned forward to listen to him.

* * *

"Oh good gods above us, where could he have taken her?" Nanny moaned out loud, burying her face in her hands.

"Calm down Nanny, we found his spacecraft outside which means he's hiding out somewhere within the palace. We'll find-" Coran stopped talking as the door to the library swung open and Lotor stepped out. Instantly he put both his palms in front of him as palace guards leveled their weapons.

"Where is she, you monster?" Nanny howled at the Drule in anger. In answer to her question, Allura came around his side, giggling softly before freezing.

"Oh dear. Please tell me you sent all the suitors home already," she said, eyeing her keepers and their guardsmen.

"Get him out of here," Coran instructed.

"Wait!" Allura grabbed on to Lotor's arm as one of the guards tried to pull him away.

To his credit, the volatile man remained calm.

"Princess! What are you doing with that rogue from Planet Doom?"

"I'm retiring from that life," Lotor muttered. "Now if you would be so kind as to have the guns pointed away, I'm not particularly thrilled that my fiancée is in their line of fire," he articulated carefully, a venom of protectiveness lacing his voice.

Allura winced as the pandemonium broke out around them.

Nanny wept her hysterics while Coran rehearsed some impressive curses.

In the chaos, the Voltron Force skidded around the corner, colliding with some of the guards.

"Go, go, go," Allura urged Lotor, giggling as the two ran down the hallway and left only panic in their wake.

"I don't know where I'm running to, Allura," Lotor called over his shoulder to the spitfire just behind him.

"It's fine, it's fine, I do. _Left_!" They both slid around a corner on her command and barreled down a hallway. Coming to a stop, Allura keyed them into another room before coding the door shut.

She laughed as Lotor scooped her up once he realized what kind of room they were in and carried her deftly to the massive guest bed in the center of the chamber before dropping her on it.

"Won't Nanny be so pleased? It seems I found a prince at the ball after all," she murmured as he jumped onto it next to her, quieting her giggles with his lips. "They'll calm down eventually," she murmured.

"But not us," he said greedily. Allura just laughed softly in response, drawing him closer to her.  _This Celebration didn't turn out to be so terrible, after all,_  she thought to herself.

 


End file.
